The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-05
Butter Making in six Lessons.

We once heard one of Wisconsin's
most eminent dairymen say that he could
take any young man of good common
sense into his dairy house and teach him
all the essential principles of good butter
making in six days. We have no doubt
but he spoke truly. The entire process
is mechanical, and given the proper ap-
plauces, the few main principles may be
easily impaired to an ordinarily bright
mind. There is proper way and time,
for setting the milk, and there is a right
temperature to be maintained. In a
given temperature there is proper time
for the cream to rise. There is right
way to do the skimming, a right point
for handling and keeping the cream.
Then there is a right temperature at
which it should be placed in the churn,
and proper speed for stirring the cream.
There is rule for sailing and time for
doing it. The most approved manner of
working is not difficult to learn. So also
is there a best way of packing, and the
best size and form of package to suit the
season and the market to be supplied.
] There is no mystery, no charm, no luck
about good butter making. These prin-
cip'es mastered, all else depends upon
practice and care. OF course there are
many things in and about the dairy that
must be learned and can only be learn
ed by actual acquaintance with and
work in the business, such as the care
OF the utensils, the Importance of clean
Illness at every step and with every pro-
cess.
In the large factory where the butter
maker has nothing else to do but manipu-
late the milk and the product, there is
little else than what is limited at above, for
the general superintendent looks after the
outside matters. But on the farm where
the butter-maker is often the one to look
after the COWS and their feeding and wa
tering, the utensils, the packages and the
marketing, where he is often the principal
mixer, and has the waste product to look
after to see that the most is made Of it
in the feeding OF his stock, besides look
ing after the farm, the requirements OF
the successful butter maker are not SO
few or so easy after all.
In the main, however, the Wisconsin
dairyman was right. The information is
easily impaired and may be readily grasp
ed by person having quickness of per.
ception, liking for the work and de-
termination to excel. And here comes in
the ACCESSIBILITY OF travelling dairy
school. such as they have in Ireland, and
we believe is soon to be tried in the State
OF Wisconsin. 1t is farm dsirying that
needs looking after most. 1t is the great
amount Of poor and indifferent butter
that comes from the private diaries OF the
country that keeps the market supplied
with an article with which fraudulent
butter may compete, and which renders
the average dairy business so much lees
profitable than it might easily be made.
Our dairy associations, having the real
interest Of the general dairy business of
the country at heart, can do no more inn
portant service than the turn ing of their
chief attention to plain instruction in
few, simple, mechanical rules governing
the making OF butter. 1t would take but
little money and the time of but two or
three skilled dairy teachers, to set in OPP
Grafton a system Of instruction that would
be felt in every county in the Northwest.
The time seems to be rapidly approach
ing when the raising and shipping OF
grain must be supplanted by a mixed
husbandry, and the marketing of concen-
trsted products. Among these none are
more important than butter and cheese,
but to be profitable they must be OF prime
quality. and these can come only through
intelligent, systematic methods Thrifty
Farmer.